T-Bank launches QR code payments in Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya

MOSCOW. Oct 29 (Interfax) - T-Bank has launched QR code payments for purchases in Egypt, Tanzania and Kenya; clients will be able to pay via the service in the mobile app without commission in these African countries, the bank said in a statement.

The T-Bank Pay QR service does not require a foreign currency account. Conversion of rubles into the local currency takes place at the bank's internal rate at the time of the transaction. Information about the rate can be found by tapping the question mark next to the ruble amount.

To pay, the customer must scan the QR code on the payment terminal or the seller's smartphone in the Scan section of the T-Bank app. The screen will display the store name, the purchase amount in the local currency and the total in rubles. After this, the client can select the account to debit the funds from and confirm the transaction. Users can also pay in installments using a credit card.

"We see the strengthening of Russia's ties with the countries of the African continent - Russians are increasingly traveling to Africa for vacations and business. In addition to Egypt, Tanzania and Kenya are becoming popular tourist destinations, and the development of industry and construction in these regions is attracting domestic investors. We are therefore expanding the list of countries where our clients can pay for purchases safely and conveniently, using familiar financial services just like at home," the product director of T-Bank Pay, Nikita Buklish, was quoted as saying.

T-Bank clients can currently send money by card number from Russia to 34 countries of the continent. According to T-Bank data, the number of such transfers grew almost 35-fold in monetary terms from October 2024 to October 2026. Kenya, Mauritius, Tanzania, Zambia and Ethiopia lead in terms of transfers. The QR code payment service is already available in Armenia, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.